This is a detailed account of my blog history from the OG, The Candydoll Files, to this new haven for advice on things the Internet loves to talk about with a dash of personality.

The Candydoll Files, aka my OG / nostalgia blog, started in Blogspot from March 2008 to September 2011, then on Tumblr from September 2011 to June 2018 and now my own website.

History (The Good)
I began blogging in March 2006. Out of curiosity, I first blogged at Blogspot under the title Spectacular.com. Two months later, I was bored with the site so I moved to another one in LiveJournal and stayed there for another two months but abandoned it thereafter. For a year I quit blogging until I found out about Xanga. I started pursuing this hobby again in the summer of 2007 on the platform via the username @candiceshayne.

However, I abandoned my blog in October because of heavy schoolwork. I tried to reinvent it with @shopaholic_candice in December. However, lethargy sinked in over the idea of running another site.

Then in February 2008, I started at Blogspot under the initial name Journal of a Shopaholic. I published my first blog post on March 14, 2008. I set with The Candydoll as my official blog name in May 2008.

And as they say, the rest is history.

For three years since its inception, I’ve met new online friends as well as improve my graphic design skills through different blog revamps. I was able to share the most significant moments of my school life from my sophomore year of high school to freshman year of college. I was able to introduce myself to the Internet.

In 2010, The Candydoll Files became the official name of the site. With more than 10000 views and over 300 blog posts, I could not ask for more.

History (Should I Blog Or Not?)
However, most of my affiliates in Blogspot started abandoning their sites making it difficult for me to stay on to my homegrown platform. August 2011 mainly consisted of my decision whether to move to Tumblr (since everyone was there) or stay in Blogspot.

In September 2011, I made the final decision to move to Tumblr. The adjustment was hard at first because there were fewer readers. But through social interaction and a little bit of spice, the blog attracted more readers within a few months.

Now, this is when things started taking a dramatic turn. As you may have noticed in my archive, the original posts started becoming sporadic by June 2013 when I started my Comm Arts majors. I slowly abandoned my precious blog because of my suddenly crazy college life. Extracurriculars, weekends with friends, all-nighters, thesis, my internship at Matanglawin and just a lot in between.

I vowed to myself that I would update more after graduation of which, by my own admission, failed several times because I spent a chunk of months preparing for my first taste of the corporate world. I continued documenting my life and interests on The Candydoll Files; all while enjoying life as an account executive then community manager/content strategist.

But still, it was not as active as it used to be in my high school years.

History (The Return?)

On a Friday night in 2019, I heard a voice to get back to my first real love on the Internet (sorry Friendster). Besides, I didn’t want to erase what got me through my transition from teenager to young adult. I needed to keep on writing because soon I might forget what “perverse” meant.

Moving forward, The Candydoll Files will serve merely as a “museum” of my life’s shenanigans dating back to my high school years. Nonetheless, it will always hold a special place in me as my prized creation.

History (The Present)

Currently, I am a working professional who strategizes social media campaigns and occasionally creates content for clients from various industries. Candice Wrote This is now Hey Candice because it just feels more…on brand for the lack of a better term. I blog here on the occasion but this website is mostly for portfolio purposes.

So Why Blog Again?

Influencers, thought leaders, marketers, and content creators are gaining more traction than ever; thus, demands for a personal brand are stronger than ever. I decided to create this new blog as a “pseudo-lifestyle” blog covering food, life advice and general commentary on trending topics (e.g. pop culture) with personal thoughts in the mix.

Ooh baby, we’ve come a long way indeed.